


Fake Smiles, Real Tears

by quietx



Series: Haikyuu Angst Week 2020 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Dinners, Haikyuu Angst Week 2020, M/M, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27316165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietx/pseuds/quietx
Summary: This feels like a romcom plot. Pretend to be someone’s date for a while, spend a few days with them, and inevitably fall in love with them, the fake date becoming real.[Haikyuu Angst Week Day 1: Fake Dating/Unrequited Love]
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: Haikyuu Angst Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993993
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	Fake Smiles, Real Tears

**Author's Note:**

> Okay!! I'm excited to kick of angst week with this Bokuaka fic! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please enjoy!

Bokuto had been thrilled when Akaashi had asked him. 

It wasn’t uncommon for Akaashi to call him, or even for him to invite Bokuto out for lunch or coffee. He’d often get overwhelmed by work, and would use his meet ups with him to calm himself down and readjust. And for Bokuto, he was always thrilled to spend time with his old high school friend.

This time, however, Akaashi seemed anxious. He was bouncing his leg in his seat, picking at the skin around his nails like he always does when he’s thinking too hard. 

Bokuto approaches the table slowly, worried about startling him from whatever he’s clearly thinking so hard about.

“Akaashi?” he calls, perhaps a little too loud, because despite Bokuto’s best efforts, Akaashi startles anyway, his coffee spilling a bit onto his hands. He looks up at him and lets out a sigh.

“Bokuto.” His voice is quiet and relieved. “Thanks for joining me today. Are you going to order something?” He glances at his empty hands and then back at the counter of the coffee shop. 

“Oh! Good idea. I’ll be right back.” He turns to go order a pastry and a tea. He’s never been much of a fan of coffee. He doesn’t like the bitter after taste, even when it’s drowning in cream and sugar. He’d prefer getting something like a chai or a matcha anyway. 

The barista is very helpful and recommends something for him to drink, and he gratefully takes her advice. It smells delicious and he lets the feeling sink into him as he sits back down across from Akaashi at the table near the window. 

“So, how’s work been?” he asks while Akaashi takes a sip from his presumably high-in-caffeine drink. 

Akaashi shrugs. “Same as always. Deadlines, crises, losing sleep. I haven’t been too stressed lately, though.” His words are true—Bokuto can always tell when he’s lying about his stress—but he still seems restless about something, tapping the rings on his fingers onto the ceramic of the mug, the _clink clinking_ seeming to stimulate him enough to distract him. “How’s the team?”

“Oh, you know, doing all right. Omi-omi’s been going through some sort of thing ever since he started going out with Tsumu-tsumu. But I’m pretty sure you already know that much,” Bokuto answers happily. He doesn’t ask any further questions, letting the silence settle around them for a bit while Akaashi works up the nerve to talk about, well, _whatever_ he seems to be anxious about. 

Akaashi takes a long sip from his coffee, leg bouncing again, shaking the slightly uneven table. 

He lets out a long, shaky breath, and then makes eye contact with Bokuto. His face is more than serious, and Bokuto suddenly feels like he’s in the principal’s office getting yelled at for being too rowdy, or something. 

“I have a favor to ask of you. But I don’t want you to feel pressured into agreeing, okay?” He’s finally set his coffee down, now tapping his rings on the table top instead of on the cup.

“Of course, ‘kaashi. You know I’d help you with anything,” he reassures, flashing a 1000 watt smile at him. 

“Okay, okay,” he says more to himself than to Bokuto. “I might’ve...lied, a little bit, to my family.”

“Okay. And?” Bokuto urges him to continue. 

“And, I told them I was seeing someone. And that they would visit this weekend for a family dinner. But I don’t have a boyfriend, and I’m not bringing a random internet date to meet my family, so—“

“You want me to come as your date?”

“Yes,” it comes out as a breath more than a word. 

Bokuto shifts a bit in his seat, rocking forward and then back, considering it for a moment. 

He’s been interested in Akaashi for a while now. After high school, their relationship had shifted. They weren’t two co-captains supporting each other on the court, but now two friends supporting each other into their futures. Akaashi has been an endless source of support for Bokuto, and Bokuto has worked as stress relief for Akaashi. 

This feels like a romcom plot. Pretend to be someone’s date for a while, spend a few days with them, and inevitably fall in love with them, the fake date becoming real. 

Now, don’t get him wrong, he’s not stupid enough to believe that it will play out exactly the way it does in the movies (though that would be nice). He figures, however, that it certainly couldn’t hurt to help out a close friend. It’s better than letting Akaashi get thrown to the wolves and have to say he got broken up with or something. 

“Hmm,” he mocks being deep in thought. “What do I get out of it?”

Akaashi’s face twists into one of anxiety, and Bokuto fears that he’s pushed a little too hard. “A day of free meals plus leftovers?” He finicks with his glasses.

“Alright, you’ve sold me.” Bokuto laughs at Akaashi’s long sigh of relief.

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much, Bokuto. I don’t know if I can repay you for this,” he speaks all in a rush, tension dropping from his shoulders, his cheeks slightly pink from the embarrassment of asking such a favor from his friend. 

“No worries, Akaashi! I’ll be the best damn fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.” He grins, taking another sip of the tea he ordered. 

The conversation settles a bit after this. They shift easily from topic to topic. Volleyball, literature, manga, what television and youtube they’ve been watching as of late. Akaashi explains that he has to get a new prescription because he’s been getting awful headaches lately. Bokuto chats on about the relationship drama amongst the Jackals. 

It’s comfortable in the way that only people who’ve known each other for a long time can be. And both of them are grateful for the easy familiarity.

Akaashi has to cut the conversation short to head to a meeting, but Bokuto lingers for a bit longer, letting the warm feelings that settle in his stomach when he’s around Akaashi dissipate. 

* * *

The weekend rolls around quickly. With their busy schedules, they haven’t had much time to talk since they first met at the coffee shop, but Bokuto arrives at Akaashi’s door on Saturday morning around eleven. Akaashi specifically instructed him to _dress nicely but not too formally, they’ll think you’re trying too hard if you do,_ so he shows up in a short sleeved collared shirt and slacks. He even made his hair a little less spiky. It hurt him to do so, but it’s okay if it’s for Akaashi.

Akaashi opens the door seconds after he knocks, looking flustered and half-dressed. He’s still in sleep clothes, his hair mussed, toothbrush in his mouth. 

_Cute,_ Bokuto lets the thought fill his mind for a moment before Akaashi yanks him inside. 

“I overslept,” he laments, rushing through the apartment in a flurry. 

“I can see that!” Bokuto shouts after him. Back in high school, he could hardly imagine Akaashi letting himself be seen in such a state. 

Akaashi comes back out a few minutes later, looking put together again. He put in contacts today, and he’s wearing dark jeans, a collared shirt and a cardigan. As he approaches, he takes a moment to pause and look up at Bokuto.

He freezes for one brief moment, and then flashes a soft smile. “You look nice, Bokuto.”

Oh. “Oh! Thanks. I think I only own two collared shirts,” he confesses. 

Akaashi’s laugh is melodic, and he can’t stop thinking about it even as they ride the train towards Akaashi’s family home.

Despite knowing him for years, he’s never actually met Akaashi’s parents in person. It was never something that came up, and if the team was hanging out at someone’s house, they normally went to Konoha’s, since it was the only place that really fit all of them together. 

He’s honestly a little nervous as they walk up to the door. 

Akaashi curls his arm around Bokuto’s arm, hanging off him slightly as they approach. 

“Don’t be nervous,” he mumbles, breath ghosting over his ear and neck. He shivers a bit, but appreciates the reassurance even if it makes his heart beat a little faster.

They’re welcomed into the home gratefully, and Akaashi hands over the small box of cakes that he bought at a conbini while they’re on the way. 

“Oh, Bokuto, we didn’t realize that you were Keiji’s new beau,” Akaashi’s mother, Mitsuho, laughs with delight. Her eyes wrinkle at the corners just like Akaashi’s when she laughs. “It’s wonderful to finally have you visit us.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t tell us it was you,” his father chimes in from the kitchen. He’s finishing up dinner because—according to Akaashi—Mitsuho could burn water if left alone in the kitchen.

“Dad, I just didn’t know how long it would last. It was a new relationship back then,” Akaashi explains, still curled around Bokuto’s arm like a vice. 

His father waves it off. “Of course, of course. I understand you kids.” He sounds happy, in that same way that Akaashi does. All is revealed through his voice. “You two should’ve been together ages ago, with the way Keiji talked about you back in high school.”

“ _Dad.”_

 _“Keiya.”_ Both Akaashi and Mitsuho scold him at the same time, though Akaashi’s cheeks go slightly pink. 

Bokuto hates that his tiny blush feels like a victory for him. It gives him _just_ enough hope to believe that he has a chance with Akaashi. 

From this point, the conversation turns away from the two of them. Keiya starts talking politics, discussing the new prime minister, the state of the economy, and Mitsuho and Akaashi occasionally chiming in with comments as well. It’s calm as they sit together at the table, eating, chatting, and airing grievances about work and the state of the world. 

“The Jackals have been having a good season this year,” Mistuho comments. According to Akaashi, she’d gotten into university on a volleyball scholarship, but stopped playing after she graduated.

“Oh, yeah, of course! Shoyo and Tsumu-tsumu are great players. It’s been great having them fighting on our side this year.” He laughs boisterously. 

“You’re too humble, Koutarou,” Akaashi gently chastises. He leans over the table a bit to press a kiss into Bokuto’s cheek, and he can feel his entire face go _bright_ red. 

Keiya and Mitsuho laugh at them. 

“Ah, young love…” Keiya sighs as the mood settles again.

The rest of the night runs smoothly. They chat, they end up watching some stupid game show on the television and shouting incorrect answers at the screen. He helps Mitsuho wash the dishes and she tells him how _good_ he is with Akaashi. 

His stomach fills with butterflies at that thought. 

It takes them a while to make their way out of the apartment. They’re showered with _I love yous,_ and _goodbyes,_ and _visit again soons_ as they walk out the door. 

Akaashi heaves a sigh of relief as soon as they’re outside the building. He bends over, placing his hands on his thighs and hanging his head.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologizes. “I _know_ how overbearing they can be. Thank you for playing along.”

Bokuto laughs at him. “It’s totally okay! Your parents are, like, the nicest parents I’ve ever met.” 

Akaashi shoots him an unimpressed look. “You don’t have to say that just because they’re my parents, you know. They’re a lot to handle.”

“I’m serious, Akaashi. They were great.” He pats him on the shoulder, willing him into cheering up.

He straightens and stands up, catching Bokuto’s hand in his own.

It shakes Bokuto to his core, this act of affection outside of the ‘pretending’ zone. It’s almost like…

With the combination of Mitsuho’s comments, and Keiya’s comments, and Akaashi’s actions, he could _almost_ believe that Akaashi truly liked him back.

He lets all of this wash over him. Warmth bubbles up inside his chest, and he grips Akaashi’s hand a bit tighter as they take the train back so he can drop Akaashi back off at his apartment. 

It feels like a real date as Akaashi tugs him up the stairs. 

They hover in the door for just a moment, air heavy as Akaashi stands there awkwardly.

“I just want to say thank you, again. Sincerely, this was a huge favor and I just--” he smiles crookedly at Bokuto, looking like he wishes he could just curl into himself. “I don’t know how to thank you, Bokuto.”

“Akaashi,” he whispers, reverently.

In the moment, it seemed appropriate. The atmosphere was right. It’s the end of a supremely successful date! It made absolute sense to lean in for a kiss. 

His eyes are closed, but he’s quickly stopped by a hand on his chest and a quiet gasp.

He blinks his eyes open, Akaashi looking stricken and guilty in front of him.

Akaashi brings a hand up to cover his mouth. “Bokuto,” he breathes out, so quiet it can barely be heard. “I’m so, _so_ sorry. I didn’t know.”

Bokuto tries to brush off the hurt of being so suddenly rejected after a great night, but he knows that his smile must look fake.

“No! It’s okay, Akaashi. I totally, _totally_ understand. I’ve just liked you for a while now, so,” he tries to play it down, letting his words spiral dismissively. Akaashi’s guilty expression doesn’t change after his explanation, though.

“I didn’t realize that you liked me. If I had, I _never_ would’ve played with your feelings like that.” His eyes start to water as his other hand comes to curl right over his heart. “I didn’t mean to--”

“It’s _fine,_ Akaashi.” It really isn't. “Please don’t cry over me.” 

His breath is wet and laced with tears. “I won’t. I won’t, but I can’t have you cry over me either.” 

“Of course I won’t, ‘kaashi. I promise.” 

His promise and smile are genuine.

The tears that come later are, too.

**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me on twitter, @quietlx ! i sometimes take writing prompts over there, so keep an eye out~


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